Resumes and Reinventing Yourself

That was the title of my seminar at this week’s Times Union Job Fair.My talk focused both on concrete advice for building your best resume as well as long-term strategies for changing careers.

The seminar was well attended by people in mid-career ready to make a career transition.For many of the participants at the Job Fair, this was a perfect opportunity to update their resume.For others, this may have been the very first time they actually wrote a resume.

Developing your most polished and professional resume is an essential part of any successful job search.In addition, it’s a good-self assessment tool that can help you reinvent yourself.When we find ourselves at a career crossroads, it’s important to take a time out.By reviewing your resume, you can stop and reflect on where you have been and where you want to go.During this self-assessment process, you may want to ask yourself some of these questions:

What have been the key accomplishments that I am the most proud of?

What 3 to 5 key points do I want to highlight to a potential employer?

What are my greatest skill sets?

What areas do I need improvement?

Does this resume reflect who I am and what I have to offer?

How can I sell myself better?

Is this resume persuasive and serious?If not, what needs to change?

Where do I want this resume to take me in the future?

What sacrifices am I willing to make to achieve my career goals?

With resume writing, the only absolute is that there are no absolutes.Opinions and styles vary.However, you should structure your thoughts about your resume around this one question:Will writing my resume in this particular way land me an interview?”If your resume is getting you interviews, it’s a good resume.If you are not getting offers, you are blowing the interview.

Too often we don’t update our resume on a regular basis.As you move through the life cycle, you resume changes as you change.It’s a dynamic selling brochure.My advice is to review your resume twice a year.At least once a year, meet a professional for a resume critique and a career check-up.Keeping your career in shape is as equally important as seeing your doctor for an annual visit.

By the end of the Job Fair, I had met with 43 people.They all had the patience to stand in line to get a professional critique, and I admire their courage to begin the process of reinventing themselves.